Apparatus for handling tubing



Oct. 22, 1935. QUARNSTROM 2,018,089

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TUBING Original Filed May 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 [5} INVENTOR.

fimr A. Owmwmon.

ATTORNEYS 06h 1935- B. L. QUARNSTROM APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TUBING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May 25, 1932 m m mm W 0 L. m f 5 A T RN YS,

Oct. 22, 1935. B, QUARNSTRQM APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TUBING Original Filed May 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS.

' Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR HANDLIlfIG TUBING Bert L. Quarnstrom, Detroit, Mich assignor to Bundy'l'ubing Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Original application May 25, 1932, Serial No. 613,570. Divided and this application June 21,

1934, Serial No. 731,725

12 Claim.

This invention relates to the making of tubing or the like, and this application is a division of application Serial No. 613,570, filed May 25, 1932 patented Oct. 9, 1934, Patent No. 1,976,092.

, The parent application discloses a furnace through which a multiplicity of tubes are propelled for heat treatment in the furnace. The subject matter herein is concerned with the propelling means for moving a multiplicity of tubes lengthwise.

The parent application also shows a cooler structure, but the furnace and cooler structure need only be referred to generally herein. It is the aim of the present invention to provide propelling mechanism for moving lengthwise a multiplicity of lengths of tubing and a structure which, by a quickly and easily made adjustment, may be adapted to handling tubing of varying sizes and diameters.

Fig.- 1 is a side elevational view in illustration of a furnace and associated tube handling mechanism.

Fig. 2 isa plan view of a portion of the device illustrating principally the arrangement at the inlet end of the furnace.

Fig. 3 is a view of the mechanism of a unit utilized for moving a multiplicity of tubes, the view showing the mechanism in section and with parts cut away.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 5 is an 'end elevation of the structure looking from the right hand end of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a detail looking on line 1-1 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing 6 the driving gear arrangement.

The furnace and cooler structure, with which the apparatus of the present invention may be used, is generally shown in Fig. 1 wherein the furnace is shown at I, through which a multiplicity of tubes may be moved by a propelling apparatus generally referenced 2. From the fur nace the tubing may pass into a cooler unit generally referenced 3, and the tubes may be pulled by propelling apparatus generally referenced 4, which in detailed construction may be similar to the propelling unit 2.

The tubing to be handled may substantially be of predetermined lengths and the propelling unit 2 may push the tubes into the furnace and the propelling unit i may pick up the tubes so to speak and advance them as the forward these brackets.

end there may be a drive shaft for driving the units 2 and 4 by chains 6i, the chains operating over sprockets 62 (Fig. 2) on a shaft 63; and the ultimate drive being through a worm and worm gear, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The unit has a driven roller which may have a metal core 65 and a body of rubber or gum composition 66. A gear 61 may be keyed to the core 65 and the gear may have an extension 68 designed to slip over a driving shaft 69 to which it may be keyed as by means of a. key 10 and with regards to which axial movement may be prevented by a set screw 1 I. The other end of the roller may be journaled by a center bearing 12 screwthreaded in a support 13 and capable of being retracted by the application of a wrench or the like to its end 14. Inasmuch as the body 66 is of soft material, it may be desirable to replace the same from time to time, so this roller is pref erably readily removable as follows: the set screw Il may be loosened, the bearing 12 is retracted, and then the left end of the roller, as Fig. 3 is viewed, is moved out of alignment with the bearing 12, and then the roller may be pulled off the shaft 69.

There are two brackets 13 of similar formation, and the several rollers are disposed between In order to accommodate tubes of different diameters, a plurality of different rollers are provided for cooperation with the roll- 35 er 66. As shown in Fig. 6, there is a member which may be termed a plate I5, one near each bracket 13 (Fig. 3) and these are carried by a. central axis tube 16. The ends of the tube 16 are carried in bearing blocks H which are ver- 40 tically movable in the brackets I3 as the brackets are slotted for this purpose, as illustrated in Fig. 5 at 16. Passing axially through the tube 16 is a cam actuating shaft having a cam 6| keyed to each end thereof, and these cams rest upon 45 hardened steel supports 82. Possibly the term eccentric" is more appropriate for the members 8|. Each member Si, or at least one of them, may be provided with a handle 84 projecting therefrom which may be gripped by an operator 50 and swung to rock the cams. It will be observed that the cams move in unison as they are tied together by the shaft 80. This serves to vertically shift the axis tube 16 and all parts carried thereby. The vertical position may be deters5 mined by means of a stop member extending through a slot 86 and screw-threaded into a nut 01 and against which the arm 84 may rest. It will be observed that the stop member 84 may be loosened and positioned wherever desired in the slot 86 to accordingly position the lever 84 which may rest thereon. This adjustment may be used for determining the working clearance between roller 86 and one of the grooved rollers, for getting the correct action for different size tube.

The plates 15 may carry a plurality of grooved rollers, and in the present instance the plates are substantially square and may carry a grooved roller near each corner. The rollers may be supported on shafts 90 and the rollers themselves are illustrated at 9|, 92, 93 and 94. These rolls may be made up in sections sleeved over the shafts. For a purpose presently to be described, the central axis tube may be provided with a bushing or sleeve disposed substantially centrally thereof and positioned as illustrated in Fig. 6 to frictionally engage the several rollers.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the rollers may have grooves of different sizes for taking different sized tubes, and as shown, the tubes pass through the machine between one of the grooved rollers and the roller 66 with the roller 08 distorting for the purpose. As shown in Fig. 3, the roller 9| has relatively large grooves, the roller 93 has smaller grooves, and the roller 94 has smaller grooves. Obviously, the roller 92 may have grooves of still another size. The plates 15 and the several rolls assembled thereon constitute a rotary unit which may be shifted by rotary action to bring any one of the grooved rollers in cooperative relation with the rubber roll.. To do this, an operator grasps a lever 84 and shifts the same to the end that the cams elevate the axis shaft I6 and everything carried thereby. It will be noted that each. of the grooved rollers has a gear I00, and the gear on the roller which is functioning with the rubber roller works with the gear 61. When the unit is elevated the gear teeth become free of each other, and then the grooved roller assembly may be turned on the axis I6 to position any one of the rollers lowermost, whereupon the assembly may be lowered into operative position and the gear on the lowermost roller then has its teeth meshed with the teeth on the gear 61.

The spacing of the tubes which are acted upon is predetermined by the spacing of the pipes in the furnace. Accordingly, with small tube one or more of the rollers may be provided with two sets of grooves. The roller 94 has a set of grooves IOI which, as shown, are lined up with the proper position for the tubes to be acted upon, and another set of grooves I02 axially removed therefrom. The spacing from center to center of grooves IN is the same as the center to center spacing of the furnace pipes, and the spacing from center to center of grooves I02 is the same as the spacing from center to center of the furnace pipes. However, it is necessary to shift the roller axially to properly position the grooves I02. The axial position of the grooved roller assembly may be determined by a pair of screwthreaded elements I04 and I05 which are threaded in the brackets, and which may be rotated by means of a suitable wrench or handle I06. These screw-threaded elements have end portions which take into slots I01 in the plates. By advancing one screw-threaded element and retracting the other the grooved roller assembly may be shifted axially into proper position. When the grooved roller assembly is adjusted rotatably it must either be elevated high enough to have grooves I01 clear the elements I04 and I05, else the elements I04 and I05 must be retracted. Roller 93 also has two sets of grooves as shown at I 08 and The purpose for the bushing 95 will become apparent as Fig. 6 is considered. It will be appreciated that the length of the grooved rollers may be considerable, depending upon the number of tubes, and that the rubber roller creates a 10 considerable pressure upwardly onto the functioning grooved roller and its shaft. To reinforce the same, the bushing 95 reacts against the uppermost roller 93. Also, it will be noted that guide tubes IIO may be used, the same may be 15 supported by a suitable bracket or the like I II for guiding the tubes from the driving unit to a point in close proximity to the inlet end of the furnace (see Fig. 1).

In operating the apparatus a plurality of tubes 20 A may have their forward ends properly positioned, and the driving rollers may be adjusted as regards the tubes. The tubes are then advanced into the furnace and their forward ends ultimately pass through the furnace, the cooler 25 tubes into the roller unit 4. The distance between the units 2 and 4 is preferably less than the length of the tubes. When the tubes pass into the unit 4 and are being propelled thereby, the unit 2 may be placed out of commission so 30 as to not act upon the tubes, and this may be done by merely elevating the grooved roller assembly. I

In some of the claims appended hereto the machine is described as being one for feeding 35 tubes. Obviously, the same machine may be used for feeding wires, rods, or other lengths of material such as strips of various cross-sectional shapes. Accordingly, it is to be understood that where the word tubes is used in 40 .these claims that this word is not to be construed as limiting the machine to one for feeding tubes, but to the contrary, the word tubes" is to be considered a word of description, so that the claims cover anything which is an equivalent 45 of a tube, as for example a wire, rod or strip.

I claim:

1. A device for passing a plurality of tubes lengthwise comprising a rubber roller, 9. cooperating grooved roller immediately adjacent the 5 rubber roller, said tubes being disposed between the rollers and engaged on opposite sides by the rollers and located in part in the grooves and in part in distorted portions of the rubber roller, and means for driving one of the rollers.

2. An apparatus for moving a plurality of tubes lengthwise comprising a roller of relatively resilient material, a shiftable carrier device, a plurality of grooved rollers carried by the carrier device shiftable into cooperative relation with go the said resilient roller, and means for driving the resilient roller and the grooved roller cooperating therewith.

3. An apparatus for passing a plurality of tubes lengthwise comprising a roller of rubber or the 55 like, a pair of supporting brackets, an axis member carried by the brackets, carrier devices on the axis member, a plurality of grooved rollers disposed between the carrier devices, and means for shifting the carrier devices for positioning one 7 of said grooved rollers into cooperative relation with the first mentioned roller.

4. An apparatus for passing a plurality of tubes lengthwise comprising a roller of rubber or the like, a pair of supporting brackets, an axis mem- 7| ber carried by the brackets, carrier devices on the axis member, a plurality of grooved rollers disposed between the carrier devices, and means for shifting the carrier devices for positioning one of said grooved rollers into cooperative relation with the first mentioned roller, means for driving the first mentioned roller, a gear associated with said roller, and a gear on each of the grooved rollers for cooperation with the gear on the first mentioned roller.

5. An apparatus for moving a plurality of tubes lengthwise comprising a ,pair of side brackets, a rubber roller journaled between the brackets, an axis member journaled between the brackets, a rotary carrier device on the axis member having a plurality of grooved rollers, means for moving the axis member toward and away from the rubber roller whereby to permit of rotary movement of the carrier members for adjusting a grooved roller to the rubber roller.

6. An apparatus for moving a plurality of tubes lengthwise comprising a pair of side brackets, a rubber roller journaled between the brackets, an axis member journaled between the brackets, rotary carrier device on the axis member having a plurality of grooved rollers, means for moving the axis member toward and away from the rubber roller whereby to permit of rotary movement of the carrier members for adjusting a grooved roller to the rubber roller, said axis member being in the form of a tube, a shaft extending therethrough and journaled in the tube,

and a cam element secured to each end of the shaft for shifting the carrier element.

7. An apparatus for moving a plurality of tubes, lengthwise comprising a roller of rubber or the like, a pair of brackets, an axis member carried by the brackets, carrier devices on the axis member, a plurality of grooved rollers supported by the carrier devices, said carrier devices being rotatable to position one of the rollers to cooperate with the rubber roller, some of said grooved rollers having relatively large grooves and some of the said rollers having two sets of relatively small grooves with the center to center distances between grooves in a set being substantially the same, and means for shifting the carrier devices and their rollers axially.

8. An apparatus for moving a plurality of tubes lengthwise comprising a roller of rubber or the like, means for rotating the same, a gear thereon, an axis member disposed above the rubber roller, means for raising and lowering the axis member carrier devices on the axis member, a plurality of grooved rollers supported by the carrier device, a gear for rotating each grooved roller, said gears with the grooved rollers being adapted to mesh with the gear on the rubber roller and demesh therefrom upon elevation of the axis member to permit of rotary adjustment of the carrier device.

9. An apparatus for moving a plurality of tubes lengthwise comprising a roller of rubber or the like, means for rotating the same, a gear thereon, an axis member disposed above the rubber roller, means for raising and lowering the axis member, a carrier device on the axis member, a plurality of grooved rollers supported by the carrier device, a gear for rotating each grooved roller,,said gears for the grooved rollers being adapted to mesh with the gear on the rubber roller and demesh therefrom .upon elevation of the axis member to permit of rotary adjustroller and the roller in cooperative relation therewith, and means for driving one of said rollers thus engaging the lengths of material to move the same lengthwise.

11. An apparatus for passing'a plurality of long lengths of material lengthwise comprising, a roller of rubber or the like, a carrier device adjacent each end of the rubber roller, means journaling the carrier device, a plurality of grooved rollers disposed between the carrier devices and spaced circtunferentially around the journaling means, means for shifting the carrier device toward and away from the rubber roller whereby the same may be rotated on the journaling means to bring one of the said grooved rollers into cooperative relation with the rubber roller to engage the lengths of material therebetween,

and means for driving one of the rollers thus engaging the material.

12. An apparatus for moving a plurality of long lengths of material with lengthwise movement comprising, a pair of spaced supports, a rubber roller journaled between the supports, a carrier device adjacent each end of the rubber roller, means journaling each carrier device on the supports, a plurality of grooved rollers extending from one carrier device to the other and journaled therein and spaced circumferentially about the journaling means, means for moving the journaling means and the carrier devices thereon toward and away from the rubber roller whereby to permit of rotary movement of the carrier devices when positioned away from the rubber roller for adjusting one of the grooved rollers to the rubber roller, so that the long lengths of material may be engaged between the adjusted grooved roller and the rubber roller, and means for driving one of the rollers thus engaging the lengths of material.

BERT L. QUARNSTROM. 

